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Calendar
Books The Princes of Ireland : The Dublin Saga By Edward Rutherford. Available March 2. Music Best of Hootie & The Blowfish 1993-2003 . Hootie and the Blowfish. Available March 2. Politics Super Tuesday Presidential Primary Contests in New York, Maryland, Georgia, Ohio, California, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut. Crime and Punishment Execution of Yokamon Hearn, in Texas. March 4. Baseball New York Yankees at Philadelphia Phillies, opening exhibition game of Spring Training. March 4. By Ed Moltzen · 29 February 2004
Where's Ted?
Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign web site photo page has been down for the past week, with a note saying, "Updating the gallery... please check back in a couple of hours..." Here's the question: When the page is restored, will it still have photos of Kerry and Sen. Ted Kennedy together? Perhaps - if Kerry wants his image to be paired with those who are more conservative... By Ed Moltzen · 29 February 2004
Khatami On Your Side
Also,
The report could neither confirm nor deny whether Khatami made his remarks with a straight face. By Ed Moltzen · 29 February 2004
We're Going In
Sy Hersh in the New Yorker is reporting that Pakistan has given the OK for some U.S. troops to take the bin Laden hunt inside its borders, according to a Reuters report:
This is, essentially, the last corner of the globe where bin Laden has been able to avoid the arm of the U.S. and now we're going in - if Hersh is correct. By Ed Moltzen · 29 February 2004
Don't Write To Paul Krugman
If you write to Paul Krugman, this might happen. By Ed Moltzen · 29 February 2004
Style Point
The New York Times refers to Osama bin Laden on second reference as "Mr. bin Laden."
Since when has any bloodthirsty, genocidal maniac deserved a courtesy title or any form of courtesy? MORE: U.S. and Pakistani troops are rounding up and questioning relatives of al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives - in the same manner as when they rounded up friends and relatives of Saddam Hussein - in the effort to get to the terrorist leader, according to the AP. By Ed Moltzen · 28 February 2004
Anthony: "Welcome To Our Nightmare"
Anthony Cumia, one half of the Opie & Anthony duo that was fired a year-and-a-half ago by Infinity Broadcasting for an on-air sex contest that led into St. Patrick's Cathedral, is writing on his web site about the current brou-ha-ha. He notes the firing of Bubba the Love Sponge, the suspension by Clear Channel of Howard Stern, and the current breast-beating by the FCC and Congress:
With all the controversy, and attacks against broadcast indecency, he says, "I think I can speak for Opie when I say, welcome to our nightmare!" By Ed Moltzen · 28 February 2004
Bin Laden Watch
Iranian radio is reporting that Osama bin Laden has been captured, but an MSNBC Broadcast report just debunked the report. The MSNBC reporter, however, explained that Iranian radio was first taken seriously, since it was the first news agency to report Saddam Hussein had been captured. According to MSNBC, the sudden presence of 50,000 to 60,000 Pakistani troops on the Afghanistan border have been fueling a steady stream of rumors, as well. In a side note, Iranian radio did report that, as of today, all Iran-Iraq prisoners have finally been exchanged from the war between the two countries during the 1980s. MORE: Cofer Black, the State Department's top counter-terroism official, told Voice of America that he believes bin Laden will be caught "sooner rather than later."
Either the U.S. and Pakistan really are closing in on him, or this is the cruelest tease since 9/11. By Ed Moltzen · 28 February 2004
NY Times Correction Du Jour
When you work for The Times, it must be hard to keep track of all those "domestic" automobile models:
By Ed Moltzen · 28 February 2004
Manly Yes, But ...
Studies have failed to prove that Viagra works for women. Pfizer issued a statement tonight saying that, despite research into whether the pill can also work as a sort of "Spanish Fly" for women, the effort sort of, well, petered out:
Pfizer plans to keep plugging away until it finds a treatment, she said. By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
Kerry's National Security Plan, 2004
Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, spelled out what he said was a "comprehensive" plan to fight terrorism in a speech at UCLA. Key points: - He would raise troop levels by 40,000; Kerry made a point of saying he would, if elected, "replenish our overextended military." It would be interesting, then, to juxtapose his remarks today with his remarks in 1996 - in which he argued in the well of the Senate for one of the steepest cuts ever in the history of the U.S. military:
The late Sen. Strom Thurmond, well into his 90s by this point, then rose to the Senate floor and recited a list of remarks from military expert about what the cuts Kerry proposed would mean to U.S. security:
Kerry, in his remarks, appeared to be hard-wired to think it was more imperative to cut military spending to keep it in line with entitlement spending. He didn't explain, today, the thinking that led to his 180. By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
Stop The
Tucows is buying Blogrolling. This, from the press release which just crossed the wire:
Since Blogrolling acts as a major, if not primary, syndicator for the blogosphere, this, obviously, could have untold impact on the new medium. Let the handwringing begin. MORE: Jason DeFillippo writes that he talked to several companies about a sale, and Tucows promised to keep running things as is:
MORE: Terms of the deal have been kept quiet, but Tucows says the acquisition is part of a larger blog strategy that the company has been working on for some time. By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
San Francisco On Hudson
The Village of New Paltz - home to New Paltz State College - is going to recognize same-sex marriages starting today. Village government's web site crashed this morning. New Paltz Mayor Jason West, a member of the Green party, will officiate over the ceremonies. -30- By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
Dean's Not Going Away
Not only is Howard Dean not going away, he's formalizing his not going away. He'll have an announcement next month, according to a note he sent to his supporters:
If Ralph Nader doesn't cause Sen. John Kerry or Sen. John Edwards to move to the left, Dean - who still has 200 delegates to the Democratic National Convention - and his supporters may be able to do just that. By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
Kerry Mentions 9/11
Sen. John Kerry, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, made a rare (for him) reference to the Sept. 11 attacks last night during the candidates' debate in California. But, as Kerry usually does when he mentions the attacks, he framed them in the context of how other countries have been offended, and not the devastation in the United States. Speaking of President Bush, Kerry said, "He has squandered the good will toward America after September 11th." Well, at least he's now mentioning Sept. 11. According to Kerry's campaign web site, he's supposed to give a speech at UCLA today on "terrorism and national security." By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
Getting Hotter or Colder? Mixed Messages From The Border Region
The AP is reporting that satellite telephone intercepts have isolated men discussion "the Shaikh" - a nickname used for Osama bin Laden - to a specific area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. But a senior government official tells the wire service "we are not close" to capturing the bloodthirsty madman and it "is a long and tiring process." By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
Aaron Brown Does Outrage
Aaron Brown admits he doesn't "do outrage well," but that didn't stop him last night:
Later on, interviewing former Rep. Lee Hamilton, vice chairman of the 9/11 panel, Brown asked Hamilton not once but twice whether Hamilton would resign in protest. "Oh no," Hamilton responded. "We've had one obstacle after the other to encounter. We've overcome most of them." Perhaps Brown realized he'd have a small audience as his lead-in, and he was just trying to jazz things up. Or maybe he's trying to practice doing "outrage," you know, for the fall campaign. UPDATE: Even though Brown flashed more anger than Democrat Hamilton (a middle American from Indiana), Kevin Drum says Brown's outrage could be a sign of Hastert miscalculating the public's reaction. Drum doesn't mention Hamilton's considerably lower-key response. By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
NY Times Correction Du Jour
Not just a correction this morning, but the dreaded "Editor's Note:"
Isn't getting an audience with Geffen sort of like getting an audience with...Oh, never mind. By Ed Moltzen · 27 February 2004
Sharpton Drops Out Of Presidential Race
Rev. Al Sharpton, during the Democratic presidential debate tonight in California, suggested the country pass a constitutional amendment against presidents who lie. He didn't name names, but the evidence points to one candidate in the race to date who would not meet that standard. By Ed Moltzen · 26 February 2004
Bin Laden Hunt
Evidently, Pakistan is serious and getting tough with its citizens in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and other members of al Qaeda. According to a report in the Pakistani paper Daily Times, government officials have asked prayer leaders to read a special message to worshipers this week:
The recent urgency to take down Osama bin Laden only appears to be getting stronger over the past several days. By Ed Moltzen · 26 February 2004
Raunch Is Out; Left Is In
The Al Franken Radio Network says it is good to go, and will start broadcasting on March 31:
So to recap the day's radio events so far: Howard Stern, in trouble; Al Franken, in business. By Ed Moltzen · 26 February 2004
The Other World Trade Center Attack
For those who remember, New York tried hard to get back to business as usual in the days and weeks following that attack; President Clinton chose not to visit New York to see the damage himself and tried to refrain from using the word "terrorism" to describe what happened. Times change. We now return you to the regularly scheduled fights over indecency. By Ed Moltzen · 26 February 2004
Bill Schneider, CNN's Shameless Self-Promoter
CNN political analyst Bill Schneider was on camera this morning, giving his rundown of thoughts on tonight's Democratic presidential candidates debate, aired exclusively on CNN. Larry King was promoting the show in hot-and-heavy fashion last night, as a matter of fact. So, it probably came as a downer to CNN execs when Schneider provided this perspective on how Sen. John Edwards - who has been chasing frontrunner Sen. John Kerry - should handle the event tonight:
Not many people watching? With Larry King moderating? Stop. By Ed Moltzen · 26 February 2004
Clear Channel: Spreading The Love In A Bi-Partisan Way
The story of the day is turning into the Clear Channel-suspending-Howard Stern issue. Is it a sign of the radio mega-company aligning with conservatives? It may be too soon to tell, but the company and its executives haven't been shy about supporting partisans from either side of the aisle. According to OpenSecrets.org, Clear Channel executives have contributed to the campaign coffers of Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert ($500), but also to the cause of Democratic U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer ($1,000). Company execs have also contributed to Howard Dean, Sen. Joe Lieberman and retired Gen. Wesley Clark (Democrats) and the Republican National Committee. Looking at Clear Channel's PAC contributions, Democrats like Rep. John Conyers and Rep. Ed Towns' campaigns were on the receiving ends of $1,000 donations, as was Republican Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico - who has been leading the indecency fight in Washington. While free speech advocates will look to blame the Republicans in government for putting pressure on Clear Channel to suspend Howard Stern and re-calibrate its indecency standards, don't hold your breath waiting for Schumer, Conyers or Lieberman to return any Clear Channel contributions in protest, either. By Ed Moltzen · 26 February 2004
NY Times Correction Du Jour
When The Times covers Nascar, unintentional comedy could break out at any turn. Here's an original paragraph from a story on Feb. 20 about the use of numbers in the sport:
Here's a correction on that piece, which ran today:
"I was told there would be no math." By Ed Moltzen · 26 February 2004
Debating Ralph
David Broder's column tomorrow takes a look at an intriguing role Ralph Nader might play in any series of debates between President Bush and John Kerry. Fox News/Opinion Dynamics right how has Nader taking 4 percent of the vote in a November election against Bush and Kerry. UPDATE: Gallup says it conducted a survey in September, with Nader pulling 14 percent support from voters identifying themselves as independents. By Ed Moltzen · 25 February 2004
"Hello Cows, This Is The Barn Door Calling..."
Clear Channel put out this statement today:
The concept of "changing the dial" is being forgotten by more and more radio listeners. But with the technology becoming less expensive, and the variety expanding by the day, satellite radio (offered by XM and Sirius) may wind up the real beneficiary of all the indecency handwringing. They're not bound by FCC regulations (yet.) In fact, a Delhi "Roady" device now goes for $119 and an XM subscription is about $10 a month - with unlimited indecency on its stations. UPDATE: (Via Drudge) Now CC is dropping Howard Stern. Memo to Pat Boone: Your agent may be getting a phone call about your availability for radio any time in the immediate future. By Ed Moltzen · 25 February 2004
Edwards Closing in Georgia, Kucinich In Double Digits In Ohio!
American Research Group has begun taking some tracking numbers in a few of the upcoming primaries. Sen. John Kerry leads across the board - but only slightly in Georgia - 45 percent to 37 percent over Sen. John Edwards. Interestingly, in New York - Rev. Al Sharpton's home - the reverend is showing 8 percent support, while 62 percent of Empire State Democrats view him unfavorably. The surveys show some momentum for Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who receives 11 percent support in Ohio, according to ARG. Ohio is Kucinich's home state, but the numbers come in the shadow of his second-place finish in Hawaii - which means he may actually have a few delegates to bring to the table at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. By Ed Moltzen · 25 February 2004
The Defense Rests
It would appear that her defense team is putting its chips on two squares: First, that the jury is completely on her side and appears unconvinced by the prosecution's evidence and, second, that even if the jury convicts her, there would be enough grounds for a reversal in arguments they've already made to the trial judge. (Here and here.) Both are risky strategies, but probably no riskier than putting Martha on the witness stand to explain her sneaky behavior and nasty manners. In any event, closing arguments - if the judge lets it get that far - ought to be doozies. By Ed Moltzen · 25 February 2004
Mass Graves Report
The U.S. Agency for International Development has completed a study on the mass graves during Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. It's grim, writes Andrew Natsios, who runs the agency:
So far, 270 mass graves have been found which contained the remains of 400,000 Iraqis. By Ed Moltzen · 25 February 2004
The Sand Is Running Out
Lots of reports are coming in about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. There's one from Reuters, in which a U.S. military official says that, while they haven't pinpointed bin Laden's location, "We feel that really the sands in this guy's hourglass ... are running out." The Guardian writes that the Pakistani army, in its ongoing assault against al Qaeda on the Afghanistan border, detained about 20 villagers and questioned them overnight in the hunt for bin Laden. The paper reports: "Weapons, ammunition, foreign passports and audiocassettes also were seized." This report - which has since been denied - has it that the son of bin Laden's top deputy has been captured. The Boston Globe has more details on the Pakistani raids. By Ed Moltzen · 25 February 2004
Bush Loses Three More Votes
Here's another group that President Bush likely didn't please by backing a proposed marriage amendment. By Ed Moltzen · 25 February 2004
Dean: Alms For The Poor
And if you can't help him out, he'll turn to supporters in New York, North Carolina, Massachussetts, Michigan, Missouri, California... By Ed Moltzen · 25 February 2004
Television Nirvana
This casting notice just popped up in email:
Who needs "Friends" or "Fraiser?" It looks like NBC has it's game plan all figured out for next season. By Ed Moltzen · 24 February 2004
Inventing Artificial Eyes
A research team from Harvard-M.I.T. has found promising results in the development of an "artificial retina," according to this report:
They're still far off, though. Researchers say they still have a lot of work to do to "crack the code" between the retina and the brain that lets people actually see a face, or the sky or trees. By Ed Moltzen · 24 February 2004
Breaking News
Michael Jackson is re-designing his criminal defense web site, and will re-launch in five days. A place holder on the site comes with a countdown, and an email address for advertising inquiries. By Ed Moltzen · 24 February 2004
Oh Yeah
This has sort of slipped under the radar, but the Bush Administration published a 103-page report yesterday that outlines further President Bush's $15 billion, five-year commitment to combating HIV/AIDS throughout the globe. Writes Randall Tobias, President Bush's Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator:
On another topic today, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe said of Bush today, "It appears that the conservative compassion he [Bush] promised to deliver in 2000 has now officially run out." By Ed Moltzen · 24 February 2004
Break The Law, Still Get To Vote
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in California, has upheld an earlier determination that, essentially, gives convicted felons in Washington State the right to vote. An earlier panel of the appeals court overturned a ruling that held Washington was correct in denying voting rights to state prison inmates who were convicted of felonies. The full circuit court refused to even consider re-hearing the case. A few judges dissented, and said:
The dissenting justices didn't exactly mince words, either:
It is, however, good news for folks like Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, who can now register his displeasure with the government via ballot box. By Ed Moltzen · 24 February 2004
Like Nickelodeon, Only Not
Al Jazeera is planning a major expansion, including the launch of "children's channels," according to The Guardian. The programming possibilities boggle the imagination. By Ed Moltzen · 24 February 2004
R.I.P.
The Draft Cynthia McKinney For President movement is no more. By Ed Moltzen · 24 February 2004
NY Times Correction Du Jour
Instapundit pointed out yesterday that The Times had apparently recycled the same interview from a George Meagher over two stories about supporters of President Bush looking for another candidate. The paper issues a correction today:
The editor apparently decided to forego an "Editor's Note" explaining the use of recycled quotes or interviews across multiple stories. By Ed Moltzen · 24 February 2004
For John Kerry, A Forgotten War?
Much has been made of Sen. John Kerry's continual references to his service in Vietnam as he chases the Democratic presidential nomination. But what's he said about the current war - the war that started on Sept. 11? Not nearly as much, it turns out. If you read Kerry's last 50 public statements - as chronicled by Project Vote Smart - you'll find that Kerry has made exactly four (4) references to Sept. 11. (Two of them are fleeting references, in an attempt to provide a back-of-the-hand to President Bush's efforts at fighting al Qaeda.) By constrast, Kerry has raised Vietnam in no fewer than 12 public statements in the past month. He's more than three times as likely to talk about a war 35 years ago as he is to talk about the war America is desperately trying to win today. Two of the four Sept. 11 references Kerry has made going back a month were actually derisive - attempts by Kerry to minimize the impact of the 9/11 attacks on world events. In one, in response to President Bush's statement on non-proliferation, Kerry said:
Eventually, he was reminded by rival Sen. John Edwards:
President Bush doesn't have nearly as difficult time remembering Sept. 11 as Kerry. In the past week alone - again according to Project Vote Smart - Bush has mentioned 9/11 on four occasions in ten public statements. The gist of his message is essentially the same each time, as it was today when he addressed the governor's conference:
One man, President Bush, appears to be thinking in the language, images and anger of Sept. 11 almost non stop. The other appears to be thinking constantly of a war we lost - Vietnam - and almost never of the war that started on Sept. 11. Again, when Kerry talks about 9/11, he's just as likely to minimize the attacks' impact on world events as not. Is 9/11 Kerry's forgotten war? Judging by his public remarks, it very well may be. By Ed Moltzen · 23 February 2004
Not Just a Pedophile, But An Idiot Says The D.A.
Jeanine Pirro, the Westchester County D.A., announces another arrest in her ongoing Internet pedophile sting operation - this time arresting a school hallway monitor for attempting to dirty-talk a 14-year old boy in a chat room:
For a sting operation, this has been one of the most highly publicized law enforcement details in the New York area in recent memory. School principals, teachers and now a hall monitor have been caught. By now, they should know that everyone on the Internet is an investigator for the Westchester D.A.'s Office. By Ed Moltzen · 23 February 2004
Guess That Socialite
David Patrick Columbia, in the New York Social Diary, writes an essay on plastic surgery's journey from a secret society for the rich to a commonplace, everyday event for everyone. He notes of one:
He doesn't name names, so we are left to By Ed Moltzen · 23 February 2004
Brought To You Without Editorial Comment
Circa 2000 By Ed Moltzen · 23 February 2004
Attention Mets Fans
Still burning over the Mets' decision to take a pass on Alex Rodriguez? How about that Mo Vaughn contract? Here's your chance to give former Mets GM Steve Phillips an earful. He'll be substituting for Michael Kay today and tomorrow on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York, according to a story in the Newark Star-Ledger. Presumably, like Kay, he'll be taking phone calls. (Michael Kay is undergoing gall bladder surgery, says the paper.) By Ed Moltzen · 23 February 2004
What's Your Life Expectancy?
A group called the Alliance for Aging Research is here to brighten your day, by telling you how long you can expect to live. At the group's web site, they have a "Life Expectancy Calculator" that asks 40 questions and determines your chances of living a long life. This might not be the best way to start a Monday. But, anyway, good luck. By Ed Moltzen · 23 February 2004
NY Times Correction Du Jour
This is an easy mistake to understand, given how similar dolphins and killer whales appear (not that there's anything wrong with that):
By Ed Moltzen · 23 February 2004
Bin Laden Watch
This report out of the Financial Times says that CIA Director George Tenet secretly flew to Pakistan earlier this month to share information on al Qaeda with government officials there. A Pakistani military official tells the paper that Tenet's visit is a big deal, and describes the resulting anti-al Qaeda operations as significant. MORE: The Times is reporting Pakistan is readying a massive, violent spring offensive in the mountainous border region with Afghanistan - but officials quoted in this story are not making any promises about bin Laden or his top deputies. By Ed Moltzen · 22 February 2004
Shhhh! If We Pretend We Don't See Him, He Might Go Away
The strategy that's developing on the left to deal with Ralph Nader's presidential candidacy is to pretend he's not running. From Kevin Drum: "(C)an the rest of us make a pact to just ignore him?" From Oliver Willis: "I promise you, this is the last major post on Ralph Nader..."
The running complaint/conventional wisdom is that Ralph Nader is running only to feed his own ego. And, you know, nobody with an ego has ever run for president before. By Ed Moltzen · 22 February 2004
Kerry Agrees To One-On-One Debate (Sort Of)
And you weren't alone in thinking it weird that ABC promoted today's This Week program as a head-to-head Kerry-Edwards fight - when it was actually a showing of two, pre-taped segments of the two speaking separately. By Ed Moltzen · 22 February 2004
For Trump, Practice Makes Perfect
In one year, between 2002 and 2003, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts cut about 500 jobs from the payroll, or roughly 5 percent of its workforce, if you read the company SEC filings and do the math. Newsweek misses that point in its rather lengthy (not to mention glowing) cover story on Trump this week. (Trump's 2003 annual report with the SEC should be out some time in March.) By Ed Moltzen · 22 February 2004
Calendar
Books Hollywood, Interrupted: Insanity Chic in Babylon -- The Case Against Celebrity By Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner. Available Feb. 24. Movies The Passion of Christ. Starring James Caviezel. Opens Feb. 25. (Limited release.)
Music In These Times Peter, Paul and Mary. Available Feb. 24. Music Dark Horse Years 1976 - 1992 (Box Set) By George Harrison. Available Feb. 24
Crime and Punishment Execution of George Franklin Page in North Carolina. Feb. 27. (More information.) By Ed Moltzen · 22 February 2004
California Law & Order Update
A Hollywood murder mystery is solved and headphone sales jump in the Valley:
If she shot the stereo, she could have been out on bail. By Ed Moltzen · 22 February 2004
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